Valve for tank cars and the like



Oct. 26 1926.

S. J. NORDSTROM ET AL VALVE FOR TANK CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. l2 1925 2 Sheets-snee*v l Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,712

s. J. NORDSTROM ET AL n VALVE'JO TANK CARS AND THE LIKE Eiled Deo. `l2. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Ocefze, 192e.

. SVVENJOHAN NORDSTROM, 0F SABATOGA .AND LOUIS 'PATENT OFFIOE.

0F SAN FRANCISCO,

VALVE FOR .TANK CARS VAND THE LIKE.

Application mea December 12, 1925. serial No. 74,997.

The invention relatesy to an improvement in valves for tank cars and the like.

The usual. type of outlet valve for tank.

cars -and similar structures comprises a flatltened or disk-like plug having on its underv which casting performs the function of the usual valve casing and constitutes the outlet Opening 'of the tank. The plug is Inanipulated to Open and close the outlet opening by means of a vertically arranged stem or rod extending upwardly through the tank and provided at its upper end with a cam and handle.

By reason of the fact that the oil, gasoline and other liquids carried by tank cars usuf ally contain particles of sand and other grit,

with live steam and then ventilate it before b the workmen could enter the tank for the purpose of repairing the valve. These operations have usually been eilected in the repair yard. The switching Of the car to the repair yard, the cleansing and Ventilating of the tank, and the regrindingof the valve usually require from24 to 48 hours. Moreover, the expense involved in switching, steaming and regrinding within the tank, and loss of timeV in the use of the car is considerable.

The Object of the resent invention is to produce an improve outlet valve `for 'tank cars and the like provided with means whereby the seating surfaces of the valve may be reground or lapped While the tank is in commission and is partly or completely full of oil, gasoline or otherliquid, thereby obviating the vnecessity and expense of drain-' hereinfter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanymg drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. l is a viewl'showing the improved valve in vertical section and the means for Operating the valve in side elevation; Fig. 2'is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the upper 1part of the valve operating means shown in ig. 1; Fi 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but taken at'right angles thereto; and Fig. '4 is a section taken along the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

y The improved valve for tank cars and the like as illustrated in the drawings comprises a movable member or valve proper 5 which is a flattened plug provided on its underside with the beveled bearing or seating surface 6 adapted to seat against the beveled annular seat 7 formed in the upper end of an outlet pipe 8 provided with the circumferential flange 9 arranged to be Secured by the rivets 11 to the underside of the rim of a hole 12 cut in the bottom 10 of the tank. f The outlet pipe 8 drains the contents of the tank through the hole 12. The valve structure constituted by the plug 5 and the seat in the upper part of the pipe 8 is opened and closed y unseating and sea-ting the plug 5 by a vertical movement from and. toward the seat 7. F or this purpose the valve -stem Or rod 14 connected at its lower lend with the plu 5 and extending upwardly through the tan intov the dome l5 at the top thereof isprovided with a cam member 16 having an operating handle l17. The cam surface 18 of the member lbears against the upper surface of the inner end' of a bracket 19 secured at its outer end to the dome 15. The inner end-Of the bracket 19 is provided with ahole through which the stem 14 passes loosely. The cam 'member 16 is bored to pass freely over the valve Istem 14 and is free to turn y thereon at all times. By turning the handle 17 ina clockwise direction the cam surface 18 is caused to ride up on the bracket 19, thereby forcing the upper end of its hub part 20 against the undersurface of the hub 4e of a wheel 37 and lifting the plug 5 from its seat. The wheel '37 is screwed 4on the upper end of the stem 14 and is secured thereto by means of the key 38. 'Turning the handle 17 in the reverse `direction permits the plug v i p. 1an-Lne,l or 13ALO ALTO, CALI- rOnNIA, AssIeNons To mnacovnonnsrnon vALvE COMPANY CALIFORMA. A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

and the beveled seating surface 6. The1 plug 5 is guided in its vertical movements Within the upper part of.` the pipe 8, when it is manipulated to open and close the outlet opening, by means of the webs or ribs 25 depending from the undersurface of the bottom 22 of the plug. There are four ribs 25 arranged in the form of a cross.` This arrangement of the ribs 25 interferes very little with the discharge of the fluid through lthe outlet pipe 8 and at the same time holds the plug 5 in shape. The center of the coneshaped top 23 of the plug 5 terminates in an upwardly extending circular flange 26.

. The lower endof the valve stem or rod 14 has a loose or flexible connection with the plug 5 so that in case the stem 14 is deflected or bent bythe movement of heavy fluids Within theftank or /by the springing or the deflection ofthe tank shell, the plug 5 is not shifted in its'seat. In the lower extremity of the valve stem 14 is formed a transverse slot 40 which loosely embraces the rib 41 extending across the upper surface of the bottom 22 of the plug. The lower end of the stem 14 is threaded externally to receive loosely a gland 28 which is also threaded externally to screw loosely into the circular flange 26 of the plug 5. Leakage from the interior of the` plug past the gland is prevented by the'packing 29 which is forced againstv the underside of the gland by a nut 30 threaded onto the lower extremity of the stem 14. The gland 28 is prevented from turning by the engagement of a pin 32 (which fits loosely Vin a hole in an arm extending laterally from the upper end of the gland), with one of the wmgs 33 projecting radially from the upper surface of the top 23 of the plug and from the exterior of the circular flange 26. By lifting the pinf32 and turning the gland 28 in the proper direction a greater or less A. force may be exerted on the packing 29.

This connection between the lower end of the stem 14 and the plug', although it is loose or flexible enough to compensate for any deflection of the valve stem, is s'uiliciently tight to fprevent the escape of lubricant up-l wardl threa s:

The regrinding of the bearing or seating surfaces 6 and 7 lis effected by introducing lubricant containing an abras1ve substance, such as emery or carborundum, into the interior or chamber 43 of the plu 5,forcing the grindin mixture out throng the radial om the chamber 43 past the screw ,holes 35 kin t e beveled seat 6 ofthe plug and the holes 35. The plug is rotated by means i of the wheel or handle 37, the cam member 16 remaining in the osition shown in Figs.

`1 and 2 While the va ve stem 14 rotates.

vThe mode of operation of the improved valve may be briefly recapitulated as follows The valve is opened and closed in the usual .manner by turning the handle 17. By moving the hand-le 17 in a clockwise direction the cam surface 18 is caused to ride upon the inner end of the bracket19 and thereby lift the plug 5 from its seat. By turning the handle 17 in a counter-clockwise direction the spring 13 is permitted to force the plug against its seat and thereby seal the outlet opening through the pipe 8. When it is necessary to lap or regrind the bearing or seating surfaces of the valve, the cam member 16does not turn, that is, ride up on the plate 19 when the wheel-handle 37 is turned. The chamber 43 and the hollow stem 14 having been lilled with a grinding mixture -consisting`of a mixture of lubricant and fine emery, the screw 36 is turned to put the grinding mixture under sufficient pressure to force it 'out through the holes 35 in the seating surface 6 of the plug. The pressure exerted upon the grinding mixture by the screw 36 is sufficient to lift the plug 5 sli htly from its seat, even when the tank is ful of liquid, so that as the wheel-handle 37 is rotated the grinding mixture vis smeared over the bearing surfaces of the plug and its seat 7 in the upper endvof the pipe 8. Thewheelhandle 37 is continued to be rotated until the bearing surfaces of the valve are thoroughly lapped or reground and a tight joint thereby produced.

Inasmuch as it is one of the features of the present invention to eect a regrinding of the seating surfaces of the valve while the tank car or other structure is in use and contains liquid it is necessary that the lubri- 'cart used in the grinding mixture be insoluble in gasoline and the mineral oils. After the seating surfaces of the valve have been reground, the screw 36 will be givenan extra turn to force more grinding mixture betweenthe contacting seating surfaces to act v and types of outlet valves for tank cars and similar structures. An. important feature lll l the interior of the plug, a hollowy valve stem Leca'ria of the invention is the provision of means for introducing a grinding mixture between the movable member or valve proper and its seat and then rotating the movable member against its seat to grind the contactingor seating surfaces.

Having thus described the inventionwhat we claim as new is l. A valve for tank cars and the like comprising, a casing constituting an outlet openmg located in the bottom. of the tank, said casing having a valve seat, a hollowmovable valve member having a bearing surface adapted tobe seated against the valve seat in the casing, openingsit'rom the bearing surface to the interior of the movable valve member, a hollow valve stem loosely connected with the movable valve member and extending upwardly within the tank, said hollow valve member and the stem being adapted to contain a grinding mixture, means for putting the grinding mixture under pressureto force it out through the openings in the bearing surface, and means for rotating the movable valve member against its seat.

2. A valve for tank cars and the like comprising, a casing serving as an outlet opening located in the bottom of the tank and having a beveled annular valve seat, a hollow plug having an annular bearing surface adapted to seat against the valve seat, openings from the annular bearing surface to loosely connected with the plug andextending upwardly within the tank, said plug and stem being adapted to contain a. grinding mixture, a screw in the top of the stem for forcing grinding mixture through the openings in the bearing surface, and means for rotating the plug against its seat.

' 3. A valve for tank cars and the like comprising, a casing constituting an outlet opening located in the bottom of the tank and having a valve seat, a movable member havinga bearing surface adapted to seat against the'valve seat, means for rotating the movable member against its seat from the top of the. tank, and means for introducing a grinding mixture between the bearing surface and` the valve seat.

4. A valve for tank cars and the like comrising a easin constitutin an outlet P e g g opening located in the. bottom of the tank and having an annular valve seat, a plug having an annular bearing surface adapted vto seat against the annular valve seat, a

stem connected with the plug and extending upwardly within the tank, means connected with the stem for rotating the plug against .its seat, and means for `introducing a grinding mixture between the bearing surface-and the valve seat from the top of the tank.

5. A valve comprising, a casing having an ing openings from its interior to its bearing surface, means whereby a plastic substance may be introduced into the plug, means4 for putting the plastic substance in the plug under pressure vto force it out through the openings in its bearing surface, and means for rotating the plug without lifting it therefrom.

SVEN JOHAN NURDSTROM.

LOUlS D. MILLS.

againstl the valve seat 

